Discuss the fun task of marketing a t-shirt shop. Where to advertise, link building, word of mouth, press releases, search engine marketing, keyword advertising, magazines, etc.
This may seem like a rudimentary question, but does a store have to be carrying your line before a magazine will write a piece about you? The purpose of magazine press is so you can create awareness for your brand, but also so a magazine can drive customers to the stores your line is carried at. However, if you aren't carried at any stores, will a magazine write something about you? It is easier to get into some stores if your brand has a following or good press. I guess there are 2 kinds of press: one, celebrities wearing your shirts in tabloid type mags, and two, an actual written piece about your line. I suppose you don't need to be carried in a store for the first type of press, but it doesn't translate into sales because you aren't listed in any stores. It might help you land new accounts though because there are pics of celebs wearing your clothes. Anyway, this whole publicity thing is confusing to me and I'm trying to figure out how it all ties together.
I have a tee shirt line that a store recently placed a November order for. Can I tell fashion editors that this store placed an order for my clothes and ask if they will write a piece about my line? Do stores reach out to magazines and create press for you? How does all this work and what should I be doing to create press?
First, there are a ton of great books about PR. Grab one or two and read those puppies. Regarding waiting for a store to carry your shirts before any PR, I would say all you want is for people to have access to your shirts. Do you have a website? Certainly, having your shirts in a store could be a plus, but on the other hand, some customers will stay away from your shirts if they're everywhere! Sometimes being a little hard to get is cool.
I would come up with a promotion that would work best for your current customer and go from there. Always dance with the one that brought you! Talk to the buyer at the store. See if there is a particular cause that you and the store might be able to team up on. Is there a target group or niche that wants your designs? Maybe someone from that group would make an in-store appearance. Then go to your local radio station/tv/regional magazine and see if they would like to tie-in with it. Be sure to consider the media outlet. Hopefully, you know which radio station format would work best. Regarding TV, there's probably a locally produced show that airs in your market that would fit in. Remember this, these people need new ideas every day...every single day! Some may brush you off, but you may be surprised how easy getting noticed can be. Once you start creating "PR" collect the press clippings, snapshots of websites, etc. Keep all this stuff to show your next media contact. This builds your credibility and all adds up to a media snowball, that...well...snowballs!
Good luck.
Do some searching and research on writing press releases
__________________ Daniel Slatkin, SBE Multi-Media, LLC Fulfilling Fulfillment with free web store included. SlightlySick University The polar opposite of Higher Education!!
This may seem like a rudimentary question, but does a store have to be carrying your line before a magazine will write a piece about you?
No, if you are already selling the t-shirts via *some* outlet (like your own website), then you *can* get press if your t-shirts are newsworthy, outstanding, interesting, slow news day, etc.
I have received LOTS of press for my t-shirts (magazines, radio, major newspapers).
1) Part of the equation is having something that is *really* unique. Not just that you and your friends think is unique, but something that a reporter or stranger in the media will think is unique/funny/etc.
2 )Another very important part of the equation is making sure that the media can FIND you *and* contact you.
That means your website needs to be properly marketed. Search engines are important, word of mouth is great, press releases can help point them to you, but if you're missing #1, they will look, see nothing of interest and move on. Marketing in all ways, all the time, is very important to get the word out not only to the press, but to customers. The more you are out there, the more people will be talking about you.
It really doesn't matter. Some retailers could not care less. You can cave tons of PR in magazines but sill not be successful in stores and vise versa.
PR halps, but do not rely on it.
What comes first, the chicken or the egg? 
Daniel Slatkin, 
